"Fortune smiled on my particular area," Carter says. "I was able to accomplish what I wanted to accomplish because it was politically possible."

Carter focused on American policy toward the former Soviet Union in the post-Cold War era.

Unlike Cutler, who says his experience has forced him to question the strength of the American political system, Carter left Washington in September with a very positive conception of the federal government.

"I have enormous respect for the U.S. government and its ability to do things right," Carter says.

Practical Academics?

After years spent tucked away in musty Harvard offices, many academics-turned-bureaucrats say they found Washington to be a slap in the face.

Nearly all professors returning from their experience in public service note the disparity between the academic and political environments.

"It is an entirely different exercise to make and implement policy diplomatically than to be a scholar," Carter says.

Not accustomed to having ideas discussed in the media on the political level, some say they found it difficult to argue their points.

"It was a bit different than academia in that it can be fairly rough down there," Cutler says.

And while Cutler seems to feel this Washington culture could represent a flaw in our system, others seemed to disagree.

"Professors are used to having ideas--it's appropriate for ideas to be examined by people," says Lawrence Summers, deputy secretary of the treasury and the former Ropes professor of political economy.

Summers, who is currently second in the treasury department's chain of command, acknowledges constant discouragement from Washington bureaucrats but remains optimistic.

"It is enormously frustrating, but there is also the chance to impact in a small way really big things," Summers says.

Summers' duties range from forming tax policy and responding to currency fluctuations to dealing with development issues with the World Bank.